The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1887-07-13
He Met His Fate.


yond all doubt. prove the final chapter
in the bloodiest mountain vendetta
known 10 the history Of the State. The
elimination was reached in the tragic
end of four desperadoes, men who for
/ feited their lives while resisting the
mandates Of the law After the destrue-
| ton of thousands of dollars worth Of
property, and up to this writing, Dune
22i, the loss of p lives, Rowan county
can now return to peace and prosperity.
/ Craig Tolliver. the famous desperado, was
I probably the immediate cause of the out
ragged Law being vindicated- Wednes-
! days COOK work ended the succession of
/ tragedies that have been enacted in that
country since the beginning ofthe Martin
Tolliyer feud, not quite two years ago, the
! result of which up TO date has been the
sending of q souls into eternity the
manning and crippling for life Of at least
a score or more Of persons: the destrue-
( tion Of all social relations and Of nearly
| the entire BUSINESS interests of the conn
I ty and the bringing about Of a state OF
/ lawlessness and terrorism that have
/ driven good men, with their families,
away from home and friends 10 seek new
homes in other parts of the country,
where they might live without being in
constant fear of their lives.
In the August, 1881. election, after
heated contest, Cook Humphreys was
elected sheriff of Rowan county, by A.
majority over Sam Goodwin. During
the canvass many animosities were en-
/ gendered, the Martins allying themselves
with Humphreys and the Tolliyers with
! Goodwins cause. Craig TollIver, the
leader of the latter faction. whose name
/ in kentucy has grown as nOtoriOusly
/ familiar rs was that of Jesse james in
Missouri several years ago, swore after
the election that Humphreys should
never ride Rowan county as sheriff Since
that date life after life has been offered
up on the altar Of battered and bad blood
with increasing frequency, despite the
efforts of the Judiciary and militia, back
ed by the strong arm of the state govern
ment
The names OF the victims in the order
killed, are as follows: solomon Bradley,
John Martin, Whit Petfrey, B. Caudelle,
Deputy sheriff Baumgardner. Mason
( KeetOn, John NARROW, John Davis, Wiley
Tolliver, railroad empIoys named
Witcher. Willie Logan, Ben Raybarn.
John Day, Floyd TolIiver, and party
( whose name snot remembered besides
the two recent victims, John B. Logan
and W. II. Logan, TO days last Craig
Tolliver, Bud Tolliyer, Jay TolIiver and
Hiram Cooper.
The news from Rowan county is Of the
most exciting kind. as it appears to be
an indisputable fact that Craig Tolliver
is killed and his gang dismembered for
/ ever The news was brought by a Lex
ington minister and others who came
through Norehead Wednesday on the
/ Chesapeake and Ohio train from Norfolk
I Va, about 9 a. II. Wednesday. When
this train was within 4 few miles Of
/ Morehead il was tagged by some eeitizens
and when itcame to astop they informed
the conductor that bloody battle was
going on in Morehead between asherifi-s
posse and the Tolliver gang and that it
would not be safe for the train TO proceed
until hostilities ceased The passengers
and train men were all very much fright
ened, and at their solicitations the con
ductor ran the train % Martins switch,
two miles and half east Of Morehead
There they remained until nearly u
O'Clock when they were notified that the
fighting was over and that the train
might proceed through the town with
safety. The train stopped for some time
at Morehead, and there the passengers
learned the particulars of the battle which
appear to be about as follows:
Sheriff Hogg, presumably acting under
instructions from the State authorities
for he recently visited Frankfort to see
Governor Knott, has been for about
week quietly organizing a very large
posse Of determined men in the upper
part of Rowan county and in the adjoin-
ing counties for the purpose of arresting
Craig Tolliver. or all the party were i'm
pIicated in the murder Of the Logan boys
some two weeks ago. Craig Tolliver had
received intimations Of this. but they
were 50 vague that he supposed the party
would be regulators instead of a sherif7s
posse. Tolliver and his party, consisting
Of about 10 men, were quite vigilant and
went heavily armed to meet every east
ward bond train at the. depot 10 search
for suspicious characters, and to see that
no one got off at Morehead but those
they desired.
Sheriff Hogg equipped his large party
with Winchester rifles and the amuni-
ton was secretly conveyed to his rendez-
vous while he organized the posse
Everything was ready for the move on
the Tolliver gang several days ago, but,
it was known that neither ne nor any of
his men would peaceably submit 70 legal
arrest of any kind. il was deemed best to
have the plans Thoroughly maturei before
taking any decisive steps. 1t was finally
determined TO attempt the arrest Of the
assassins "Wednesday, June -, in the day
time. to prevent any women, children or
offensive citizens from being killed by
accident Accordingly, at an early hour
Wednesday morning people living on the
line of the railroad within two or three
miles of Morehead on each side Of the
town, were notified to stop all trains and
inform the conductor Of what vas going
on in Morehead, so that the passengers
and trainmen would not be placed in
danger.
Sheriff Hogg's band Of resolute men,
numbering more than 200, appeared sud
denly at MOiehead about o'clock We'd
nesday morning. \ Gordon was first
established around the entire town in
the brush. where the men could not be
seen. The Sheriff then entered the town
at their head ofabout 100 we'll armed men
Craig Tolliver and his 10 followers i'm
inediately retreated 10 the Cottage Hotel, |
which they had previously barrieaded in |
such manner as To make II quite a |